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Comparable Schools'
Campus Dining Grades:
Quick StatsFreshman Meal Plan Requirement
Yes
Off-Campus Places to Use Meal Plan
- Flex Account works at Chipotle and other select business in the vicinity
Average Meal Plan Cost
$2,137 per term
Student Favorites
- Ferris Booth Commons
- Uris Hall
Other Options
- JJ’s Place is a popular snack and fast food hangout open during the week from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., closed on Friday, Saturday, opens on Sunday at 3 p.m. It is conveniently located in the basement of the John Jay residence.
College Prowler Take
Freshmen are required to have dining plans during their first year at Columbia, and many resent the burden of having so many meals to use. Conventional wisdom suggests that students should invest in the meal package with the fewest meals and the most points. While few sing the praises of cafeteria food, it is even rarer for students to totally disparage the grub at Columbia. For better-than-average dining, cross Broadway and head to Hewitt, Barnard’s dining hall—they accept the Columbia meal plan. For those who eat at erratic hours or those simply tired of cafeteria food, there are many on-campus cafés and snack places with a little something for everyone. JJ’s Place in the basement of John Jay doubles as a snack-grill-grocery store and late-night hangout, with a pool table, flat screens for individual tables, and an array of board games for group enjoyment. Sophomores and upperclassmen who go off meal plans often voice regrets about not being able to have food at their fingertips, but many rectify this problem by getting a Flex Account. This allows students to use their Columbia ID to buy food without having to worry about having cash on them. One benefit of eating meals on campus with a card is that it is tax-free, so one saves a lot of money by using points to pick up a snack on campus; the cafés in Lerner Hall and Uris are among the student favorites for sandwiches, soups, or coffee breaks. Students Speak Out
Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:
Anonymous says:  |
The first-year meal plans at...
The first-year meal plans at Columbia are terrible. They are way overpriced for what you get. Get the meal plan with the fewest meals and the most points, trust me. However, after the first year, most students opt out of the plans and just put dining dollars on their student cards. |
Anonymous says: |
The dining hall is bad, I admit....
The dining hall is bad, I admit. The places where you can swipe your Columbia Card to use dining points are great. There’s stir-fry, sushi, sandwiches, and Pizza Hut. You can get pretty much anything you want. |
Anonymous says: |
Save your money to eat downtown on...
Save your money to eat downtown on the weekends. Manhattan is rich with culinary delights for the Epicurean in all of us. |
Anonymous says: |
You really shouldn’t have any high...
You really shouldn’t have any high expectations where that is concerned. Granted, the food isn’t the worst in the world, but it’s far from high-quality. John Jay dining hall is definitely not my favorite place to eat, but it’s convenient. There are other delis and cafeterias on campus that are actually pretty decent if you want a sandwich or a quick bite to eat. |
Anonymous says: |
On campus, food is okay, and there...
On campus, food is okay, and there is a place to eat in the student center called Ferris Booth Commons, which is nice. Also, the grad schools have good places to get food, like Uris at the business school—I always eat there. |
Dining Halls
Blue Java Coffee Bar
Coffee and munchies
Butler Library
Monday–Thursday 8 a.m.–12 a.m., Friday 8 a.m.–9 p.m., Saturday 12 p.m.–6 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m.–12 a.m.
Café (212)
Salads and sandwiches
Lerner Hall
Monday–Thursday 8 a.m.–2 a.m., Friday 8 a.m.–9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.–9 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.–2 a.m.
Tasti D-Lite
Ice Cream
Lerner Hall
Monday–Thursday, Friday 12 p.m.–6 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m.–11 p.m.
Ferris Booth Commons
Stir-fry, wraps, sushi
Lerner Hall
Monday–Thursday 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Hartley Kosher Deli
Kosher
Hartley Hall
Monday–Thursday 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Carleton Lounge
Coffee and munchies
Mudd Hall
Monday–Friday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
John Jay Dining Hall
Buffet
John Jay Hall
Daily 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., 5 p.m.–8 p.m.
Café East
Coffee, dumplings, smoothies
Ground Floor Lerner Hall
Hewitt Dining Hall
All-you-can-eat, kosher, vegetarian, vegan
Barnard Dining Hall
Uris Deli
Sandwiches and coffee
Uris Hall
Monday–Wednesday 7:30 a.m.–7 p.m., Thursday–Friday 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Lenfest Café
Salads and sandwiches
Jerome Greene Hall
Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
JJ’s Place
Greasy grill food and other Freshman 15 delicacies
John Jay Hall
Monday–Thursday 8 p.m.–4 a.m., Sunday 3 p.m.–4 a.m.
Did You Know?Furnald Hall used to have a pub (called Furnald Pub), but the first floor is now a beautiful lounge with hardwood floors and couches where a cappella groups often perform and residents study.
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